Ciudad Real Central Airport, Spain

It was intended to serve both Madrid and the Andalusian coast, each accessible by AVE high-speed train in 50 minutes. However, due to poor planning and overoptimism, major deficiencies in the early planning stages were overlooked. The airport never had demand from the major airlines, with carriers Nostrum and Vueling announcing routes but terminating them a few months later. The passenger traffic was measured in the low thousands, compared to the anticipated traffic of up to 10 million.

From October of 2011 no airline made use of the airport; it was only used occasionally by private jets. Spanish financial crisis deteriorated the situation and the airport ceased operation on 13 April 2012.

The 4,000 meter runway has to be continually painted with yellow crosses, so pilots flying over the airport will know they cannot land there.In 2014 it was reported that a Chinese investment company entered into an agreement to buy the airport for just €10,000. A year later it was reported that a UK group had purchased the airport for at least 28 million Euro.